Bolt and chain lock



April 13, 1937." F. R. WEST BOLT AND CHAIN LOCK Filed Feb. 26, 1954 liu Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a bolt and chain lock, and has to do particularly with the construction of the retainer member for the bolt.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a bolt and chain lock, the retainer member of which is of such construction as to permit the opening of the doorto a plurality of independent fixed positions by an extremely simple and easy movement of the bolt itself; at the same time to positively prevent the door from being opened pastpackage receiving position. More specifically, the present invention contemplates a bolt and lock unit wherein the retainer member is somewhat analogous to the standard type bolt and chain lock wherein the retainer member has a straight length of slot, except that here the slot is formed as a tortuous but substantially continuous passageway, the bolt being adapted to remain in any one of a pluralityof positions in this tortuous passageway to positively fix the door at that position.

The tortuous passageway is so positioned and the locking points for the bolt thereon so arranged that any attempt to displace the bolt from the outside when the door is in maximum package receiving position will merely result in closing of the door without any possible release of the bolt. In the preferred embodiment the next to the last point on the tortuous passageway positions the door at crack position (about opening); the last position being really two alternative positions, one in a downward direction for locking the door in closed position and the other in the other direction for releasing the bolt from the retainer member.

Other features of the invention, including particularly the detailed construction of the retainer member, will be more clearly set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a door and easing equipped with a bolt and chain lock embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing the door and chain looking device in a plurality of positions of adjustment in both full and dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. y

The present invention preferably embodies a standard keeper member 2 adapted to be secured to a door casing 3, a chain 4 terminating in a locking bolt 5 adapted to cooperate with a retainer member 6. The gist of the present invention resides in. the construction of this retainer member 6, which in the illustrated embodiment y a groove portion l4 permitting the bolt to be slid along the slot or groove H in the top plate ID of the retainer.

When the retainer member 6 ismounted in a substantially horizontal position on the door, as shown in Fig. 1, or on the casing, in the event of a reversal of parts, I preferably fabricate the wall portions i5, I6, I! and I8 of the tortuous slot so as to slightly slope inwardly and downwardly towards the keeper member 2.. Thesewall portions l5, l6, l1, and I8 provide fixed but temporary locations for the bolt 5 and hence for the door. The slightly inclined walls will tend to retain the bolt in any one of the temporary but fixed positions in case of any attempt by jarring or otherwise to move the bolt from the outside,. say, from the position I! to the position l5. The general contour of the groove II is maintained however so that it is a very easy matter to move the bolt along the groove.

The position I8 is the fixed but temporary posi-, tion of the bolt as a night lock, that is, when the Cir door is completely closed. From this position it is very easy to move the bolt up to the aperture l3 where it can be removed to permit immediate opening of the door if desired. The wall I! forms the second position which is what we term the observation position for the lock and for the door. As illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, this position of the door is illustrated at Ha, and when the bolt is in this posi-' tion I! the door may be opened just wide enough to peer through and see who is on the outside. If it is desired to receive a newspaper or other fairly small article, the bolt may be then removed along the tortuous passageway to the position [6, which is the position of the door shown at Ilia in Fig. 2, with the result that the door may be then opened wide enough to receive the newspaper or other small package.

The last position of the locking member and of I the door as illustrated in the embodiment is that illustrated by the position IS in Fig. 1 and the solid line position of the door and the locking member as shown in Fig. 2. Here the door is in its maximum open position permitted by the length of the chain.

It will be obvious that the offset portions of the cent the night lock position [8 or the cracking position of the door I! because it is from these two positions that the bolt is most frequently removed from the retainer. 7

It will thus be seen that I have provided a retainer member of very simple cheap constructionand which provides for absolute safety as far as the relationship between the bolt and container is concerned. Any attempt by one on the outside to push the bolt towards removable position will be met by a squeezing of the wrist as the bolt is moved towards the position l1. Rubber bands, string, or other means would also fail to move this bolt along the tortuous passageway. A scuff plate [9 may be provided to prevent the chain 4 from marring the edge of the door. 7

The top I!) of the retainer member 6 being flat may be reversed and used with either a right hand or left hand door.

What I claim is: V

l. A safety lock of the bolt and chain type for securing a door in a plurality of partially open positions, comprising a part for attachment to a door casing including a flexible connectio'nand a lock member, a retainer member adapted to be used on a right hand or left hand door, secured to the door and having a substantially continuous tortuous slot for receiving said. locking member, the median line'through said tortuous slot being substantially horizontal, said slot having a plurality of surfaces against which the lock member is adapted to automatically contact by gravity and temporarily but fixedly abut to hold the door in a plurality of partially opened positions, the end of said slot branching off in one direction and being so shaped as to hold the lock and door in closed position.

2. A safety lock of the bolt and chain type for securing a door in aplurality of partially open positions, comprising a part for attachment to a door casing including a flexible connection and a lock member, a retainer member, adapted to be used on a right hand or left hand door, secured to the door and having a substantially continuous slot for receiving said locking member, said slot having a plurality of surfaces each forming an obtuse angle relative to the inner edge of the door against which the lock member is adapted to temporarily but fixedly abut to hold the door in a plurality of partially opened positions, the end of said slot branching oil in one direction and being so shaped as to hold the lock and door in closed position, and in another direction where it -merges into an enlarged opening for removing the lock when the door is in substantially closed position.

; 3. A retainer member for bolt and chain door locks comprising a casing having an opening for receiving a chain locking member, said casing being adapted to be permanently mounted, and a slot in the face of said casing to; rtqtiving and guiding the locking member in the same plane, I

said slot having a plurality of surfaces each forming an obtuse angle relative to the inner edge of the door against which said lock member is adapted to temporarily but fixedly abut to hold the door in a plurality of positions, said slot being substantially unbroken from one extreme positioning surface to the other.

4. A retainer member for bolt and chain type locks for doors, comprising a casing adapted to be permanently mounted, a slot substantially continuous formed in said casing for receiving a chain locking member, said slot extending generally lengthwise of the casing, portions of said slot being offset to form a plurality of spaced positioning surfaces each forming an obtuse angle relative to the inner edge of the door against which said member is adapted to automatically and fixedly but temporarily abut.

5. A retainer member for bolt and chain type locks for doors, comprising a casing adapted to be permanently mounted, a substantially continuous slot formed in said casing for receiving a chain locking member and guiding the same in the. same plane, said slot extending generally lengthwise of the casing, portions of said slot being offset to form a plurality of spaced positioning surfaces against which said member is adapted to automatically and fixedly but temporarily abut, the face of said casing being substantially parallel to the plane of the door when the door is closed.

6. A retainer member for bolt and chain type locks for doors, comprising a casing adapted to be permanently mounted, a flat plate adapted to contact with the face of said casing, a continuous slot formed in said plate, said slot having an enlarged opening in one end to receive an enlarged head of a chain locking member and being narrow for the rest of its length whereby,

porarily but fixedly hold the door in a position intermediate its open and closed positions as determined by the respective ends of the slot.

'7 A safety lock of the bolt and chain type for securing a door in a plurality of partially open positions, comprising a part for attachment to a door casing including a flexible connection and a lock member, a retainer member secured to the door and having a substantially continuous tortuous slot for receiving said locking member, and guiding the same in the same plane, the median line through said tortuous slot extending longitudinally of the retaining member, said slot having a plurality of surfaces against which the lock member is adapted to temporarily but fixedly abut to hold the door in a plurality of partially open positions.

8. A safety lock of the bolt and chain type for tions, the end of said slot branching 01! in one direction and being so shaped as to hold the lock and door in closed position, and in another direction where it merges into an enlarged opening for removing the look when the door'is in 5 substantially closed position.

FRANK R. WEST. 

